Raheem Sterling has already exorcised the demons that made him struggle at Chelsea, despite not yet having made his Arsenal debut, according to one former player who turned out for both the capital clubs.
Sterling penned a surprise deadline-day move to the north London outfit last month, having been exiled out of the Chelsea squad by new manager Enzo Maresca.
It came just two years after the winger put pen to paper on a move from Manchester City, joining the Blues as part of a £50million deal.
But, as Sterling prepares for his first Arsenal outing this weekend, one ex-Gunner believes he’s already looking the part.
William Gallas told Prime Casino: “I think this can be a very good move for Raheem Sterling. It looks like it will be a positive move for Arsenal, and you can see that Sterling looks really, really pleased to have joined the club.
“I’ve seen the pictures of him in training; he looks happy. He looks relaxed. His body language looks good, at Chelsea, that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t know if this is true, but I look at him, I hear the things he’s said about Arsenal since he joined, maybe he always wanted to play for the club. He’s a London boy, maybe this is the shirt that he’s always wanted.”
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He continued: “When I said it wouldn’t be a loss if he left Chelsea, that was fair. He didn’t show his ability at the football club. It’s simple. He has an opportunity to show people what he’s all about as a player, and perhaps working with a manager that knows him, will help him do that.
“Arsenal have got a lot of wingers, but he adds to that. They need a striker, and they didn’t get one. It would be very good news for the club and Mikel Arteta if Sterling can score goals. I’ve got a feeling that he may just do that playing for Arsenal.”
It comes ahead of this weekend’s north London derby, which Sterling is expected to feature in.
And given Arsenal’s current injury crisis, there is talk Sterling could be thrown in straight from the start - news that will no doubt strike fear into the Tottenham Hotspur defence.
A Sterling with a point to prove is a dangerous one and what better stage to mark his Arsenal arrival than away to the club’s most hated rivals.